Paul & Sabrina's cheap DIY 144v motor controller

[ChedMpls]

There are no stupid questions, right?

On the control board What's up with the 6 holes under the Atmega168? Do i leave 'em empty and solder the socket right over them?

i'm loving the comments and tips from others working on this. I've got all the resistors on. This soldering is much smaller and more precise than anything i've done before but i think it's going well.

Anyone know a good, comprehensive site where i can find basic info on all these types of pcb parts (especially POLARITY) ?

[MPaulHolmes]

Solder the socket right over those holes. They are just vias (they just carry current from one side of the board to the other side). The diodes (D1, D2, etc...) have a band on one end of them. And the picture of the diode on the control board shows a little stripe that indicates which way the diodes should face. It's sort of hard to explain.

If there's a dot on a chip, that dot should be closest to the notch on the schematic. Tell me each thing you are confused about and I'll try to explain how it goes in.

[ChedMpls]

ok vias i get that

for chips the dot seems to align with the square layout hole, any special significance of the square holes (pos, neg?)
U11 (photorelay optocoupler) has two stamped dots (small and large) and one printed dot. The big stamped dot and the printed dot are in the same corner. I'll assume that's the dotted corner that goes in square layout hole (closest to silk-screened notch on pcb).

Fox Crystal goes whichever way (no polarity?)?

[harlequin2]

Want to make a 1000A controller quick and easy?
Buy a LogiSystems 156V, 1000A unit second hand - there must be lots for sale out there for very little money! - take it to bits and throw away the control board. You are left with the power section which comprises 31 x 220uF x 250V caps, some 24 or 25 600V x 50A (at 100 deg C) IGBTs and a similar number of 600V 50A diodes all bolted to a heat spreader/heat sink. About $500 worth of parts all connected up and ready to go!
Build an OpenRevolt controller, figure out how to mount it (the original LS case is too small) and also mount the current sensor and you are away!
Might have to change the current sensor electronics to go to 1000A, but the semiconductors will do it.

[MPaulHolmes]

Originally Posted by ChedMpls

ok vias i get that

for chips the dot seems to align with the square layout hole, any special significance of the square holes (pos, neg?)
U11 (photorelay optocoupler) has two stamped dots (small and large) and one printed dot. The big stamped dot and the printed dot are in the same corner. I'll assume that's the dotted corner that goes in square layout hole (closest to silk-screened notch on pcb).

Fox Crystal goes whichever way (no polarity?)?

The square holes just mean PIN 1. No polarity on the fox crystal. Have U11 so that the more slanted side is facing toward all the gate resistor holes, and the tan big dot is closest to the notch on the outline on the pcb. The big tan dot indicates PIN 1. So just make sure it's right where the square pin is (the lower left).

[etlaare]

Just had to share with you that today my electric Twingo together with the Paul and Sabrina's wonderful controller has been officially tested and is now street legal as a full electric car.

Thank you so much for all your contribution and help Paul and Sabrina.

I couldn't be happier

(not sure if I already shared this video with you)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzsl4L7SrnU

[ianbartie]

Hi ChedMpls
I have spare power caps, poly caps, MOSFETs & power diodes left from a previous buy for several controllers.
You can contact me via my web site Digital Home Technology if you are interested.
Sending stuff overseas is no problem.

[jyanof]

Originally Posted by reissmachinist

The growl, I mistook for the same as the irritating curtiss controller whine
heard under some conditions.

I'd concur that the noise of the hardware over current protection sounds like the Curtis whine. My controller would trip at 480 amps. Turning the trimmer pot for the hardware OC a bit fixed it right away.

Also, one reason your controller may be running hot is that your motor/gear ratio requires high motor amps. For comparison, I use an air cooled heatsink (I had pics up here at some point) and have obsrved a constant load of 200 motor amps causes a 12C rise in temp.

One thing to try, if you haven't already, is keeping the motor rpm's high which will in turn keep the motor amps low.

[edown]

I finally got around to making a video of my car, 92 Eagle. Hers is a youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ01GugFHF0

[Greg Fordyce]

Nice video edown, now you just need to remember that you no longer need to stop for gas!